Breaking barriers: addressing screening challenges among populations in vulnerable situations

Abstract Effective screening is crucial for early detection and prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Despite advances in CVD and DM management, social and regional disparities persist. Health examination surveys (HESs) provide data on CVD and DM biological risk factors, vital for planning of preventive and corrective measures. However, data on groups in vulnerable situations, such as migrant origin and minority ethnic groups, the elderly or persons with disabilities is sparse and fragmented across countries due to poor accessibility, inclusivity and cultural safety of screening practices, and under prioritization of resources to support their participation. For example, our recent scoping review identified 55 studies focusing on CVD and DM risk factors among migrant origin and minority ethnic groups. These studies were based on 24 HESs across 10 European countries, with 66% originating from the Netherlands or Sweden. None used nationally representative sampling. There were inconsistencies in definitions of migration status, and who comprised the reference group to contextualize the findings. Additionally, the HES methodology and included risk factors varied widely, with different measures for anthropometrics, blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose, and major variation in protocols and risk thresholds. Our results show significant gaps and limited comparability of data on CVD and DM risk factors among migrant origin and minority ethnic groups. This limits our understanding of CVD and DM burden across diverse population groups, crucial for planning whole population level and targeted preventive measures. To address these disparities, urgent efforts are needed to improve availability, representativeness, quality and comparability of data across Europe. Investing in data collection and ensuring inclusivity, accessibility, and cultural safety of screening is essential. Standardizing protocols will enable data comparability across countries. Speakers/Panellists Nataliia Hryb Public Health Center of the MOH of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine William Leysen Diabetes Liga, Ghent, Belgium